The primary purpose of the study was to determine if a parenting program would affect the reading achievement scores of single-parent children. Secondary purposes were to determine if male and female students were affected differently and if middle school students were affected differently than elementary students.Ninety-three students from a rural school district in northern Shelby County, Indiana, were identified to participate in the program. Forty-seven experimental children, were instructed in the parenting program twenty-one weeks, twenty-five minutes, two times a week. Forty-seven control students remained in the classroom.Multivariate analysis of covariance was done to test the null hypotheses. The criterion for rejecting or retaining the null hypothesis was set at the .05 level of probability.Data collected from the pre- and post-test reading scores of the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, the Martinek-Zaichkowsky Self-Concept Scale for Children, and the Behavioral Characteristics of Single-Parent Children Checklist were analyzed. Findings were:1. There was not a significant difference between experimental and control groups or gender; however, the following differences did exist: a. The experimental group scored higher in reading than the control group, with the exception of the lower grade control females, who scored higher than the experimental lower grade females. b. The females of both groups had higher gain scores than the males.2. There was a significant difference at the .05 level in reading for the variable grade with lower grade students making larger positive gains than the upper grade students.3. There were significant differences in self-concept between the control and experimental groups in the area of anxiety, school status, happiness and athletics. a. The lower grade experimental, upper grade control, and male students (of both groups) were less anxious. b. The lower grade students felt better about school and were happier than the upper grade students. c. The second grade control group felt more confident about ability in athletics than the experimental group.4. The teachers perceived the experimental students as needing less discipline, having higher general achievement and better reading comprehension.Conclusions based on the findings were:1. The group or the gender did not make a significant difference: a. However, the upper grade experimental group did perform better than the upper grade control group. b. The lower control females performed better than the lower grade experimental females, but the lower grade experimental males out performed the lower grade males in comprehension.2. The lower grade students performed significantly better than the grade students in reading vocabulary and comprehension.3. The lower grade experimental students, the upper grade control students and the male students were significantly less anxious.4. The lower grade students felt significantly better about school than the upper grade students.5. Teachers perceptions of experimental students were higher in classroom behavior, general achievement, and reading comprehension.

Some evidence suggests that single parents may experience lower social capital than partnered parents. However, few studies have examined whether social capital is useful in explaining the frequently reported mental health differential between single and coupled parents. The research questions for the current study were: 1) can disparities in mental health between single and partnered parents be explained by differences between these groups in social capital, above and beyond that explained by economic factors?; and 2) Are there particular dimensions of social capital which are more or less strongly associated with family structure disparities in mental health? The data source was Statistics Canada’s 2010 General Social Survey (Cycle 22). Analysis was restricted to 18-59 year old single (n=648) and partnered (n=4952) parents. Principal components analysis was conducted to develop a measure of social capital. Multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between family structure and perceived mental health, prior to and after adjusting for socioeconomic and social capital measures. All analyses were conducted separately for mothers and fathers. Single mothers scored lower than partnered mothers on some, but not all measures of social capital. Poor mental health was more common among single than partnered mothers (OR=3.03, 95% CI 2.23-4.12). After adjustment for all explanatory factors, including social capital, the odds ratio for family structure and mental health decreased but remained statistically significant (OR=2.13, 95% CI 1.48-3.3.06). Although single fatherhood was associated with a 1.81 greater odds of fair/poor self-rated mental health compared to partnered fathers, the difference did not meet the traditional criterion for statistical significance (95% CI 0.97-3.37; p=.06). Single fathers did not score differently than partnered fathers on most of the social capital dimensions. Although social capital, particularly the dimension of trust, may play a role in understanding single mothers’ poorer self-rated mental health relative to partnered mothers, the results of this study are too preliminary to inform policy directed at improving their mental well-being. Longitudinal research which includes a larger sample of single fathers is needed to clarify the nature of the relationship between family structure, social capital, and mental health

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report studies entitled :[1] A sustainable urban development.-- [2] Open building. Includes bibliographical references.

published_or_final_version / Politics and Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 182-201)

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes special report studies entitled :[1] A sustainable urban development.-- [2] Open building. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die belewinge van die kind in die enkelouergesin te identifiseer. Die belewinge van skok, skuldgevoelens, woede, verwarring, vrees, onsekerheid, angs, oorbeskerming, sosiale verleentheid, ontoereikendheid, verwerping, verlies en verlange, smart en depressie is in die literatuur gevind. Daar is .ook positi.ewe belewinge gevind, asook dat belewinge onderdruk word. Ba.ie van die belewinge stem ooreen ongeag die oorsaak van die verlies, hetsy egskeiding of dood. Die empiriese studie bet bevestig dat onrealistiese betekenisgewing onderliggend aan bogenoemde belewinge is en dat die opvoedingsituasie problemati.es is omdat daar nie in die behoeftes van die kind voorsien word nie. Voorts is bevind dat faktore wat onderliggend is aan ongunstige belewinge in 'n groot mate ophetbaar is. Sekere aanbevelings is na aanleiding van die studie gedoen wat as riglyne gebruik kan word in die volwassene se bemoeienis met die kind in die enkelouergesin. / The object was to identify the experiences of a child in a single parent family. Experience such as guilt, anger, confusion, fear, insecurity, anguish, overprotectiveness, social embarrassment, inadequacy, rejection, a feeling of loss and yearning, grief and depression have been found in the literature studied. Favourable experiences have also been established as well as the fact that experiences are suppressed. Many experiences show a similarity regardless of the cause of the loss, be it divorce or death. The empirical study has confirmed that unrealistic meaning attribution is subjacent to these experiences and that educational problems exist due to the fact that provision for the needs of the child has not been made. Futhermore, it has also been found that factors 'Yhich are subjacent to these unfavourable experiences can, to a large extent be neutralized. Thus recommendations which can be guidelines for adult intervention with a child in a single parent family, have been made. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders characterized by significant challenges in socialization, communication, and behaviour. Unlike many other chronic illnesses, ASD proves to be a difficult disorder for parents to cope with. Nonetheless not many studies have been conducted in the area, particularly focusing on single parents. This study aimed to add to this limited literature by extending the exploration to include experiences of all types of single parents in raising children diagnosed with autism in a South African context, specifically in Pretoria. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data from six purposefully sampled mothers, and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results revealed that participants were unaware of what the diagnosis of ASD meant for their children, and thus took it upon themselves to research and understand. Some of the challenges that single parents have had to face are the financial implications, behavioural problems as well as stigma. The single parents in this study showed resilience, as they were able to use resources that are available to them. Being a single parent to a child diagnosed with ASD has caused parents to adjust their lives to ensure that their child is given the biggest priority. / Mini Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2018. / Psychology / MA / Unrestricted

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand 1992. / Single parenting is becoming much more common today for a variety of reasons. The single parent family is a result of divorce, desertion or separation, death or having a child illegitimately, Some women make this choice for palitico-feminist reasons, wanting parenthood but being unwilling to cohabit with a man. It may well reflect a deep seated need to prove her independence. The present study has been motivated by the fact that becoming a single parent is usually a traumatic process with much heated and confused emotion in relationships over and above the basic problem of just one adult figure having to cope with small children. The aim of the study was to elicit from a group of single mothers their needs, to prioritize these needs, then form an on-going self—help group programme. It was hypothesized that a self-help group programme for single mothers would improve parental attitudes, parenting skills and interpersonal functioning. Parental attitudes, parenting skills and interpersonal functioning were assessed over three assessment periods, i.e. pretest, post test and fallow up. The following psychological measures were used: Maternal chi1d—rearing attitude scale, Parenting skills qualitative and quantitative ratings and Carkhuff scales far levels of interpersonal functioning. The project consisted of meetings with the group of single mothers at weekly intervals over two months. The group meetings were videotaped for evaluation by independent judges, for levels of interpersonal functioning. A short written qualitative evaluation of the programme was required of the mothers. After the programme was instituted there was no significant change in parental attitudes and parenting skills* One can assume that this group of single mothers had an extensive knowledge of child-rearing practices and parenting skills. This might be so because the group was composed of educated and professiona1 mothers. At the same time one cannot cone 1ude that educated and professional mothers have good parental attitudes and parenting skills because there is no available literature or research findings to support that cone 1usion. Interpersonal functioning improved remarkedly in terms of empathy, respect, genuineness and se1f—disc1osure. The single mothers evaluated the programme as goad and helpful to their children. They all wished that the programme could continue. One of the limitations of the study was the fact that the sample was small. But the number met the requirements for a group. Another limitation was that the group only comprised of one category of single mothers, i.e. educated and professional mothers. Perhaps if the group has a mix of categories, i.e. lay mothers and teenage mothers, resu1ts yielded would show a significant change in child—rearing attitudes and parenting skills. Single motherhood is very stressful. Single mothers find it difficult to cope with the role strain, isolation and 1one1iness. Even though some single mothers might be financially adequate they still need emotional support. Interpersonal functioning is improved if people with a similar problem are put in a group. Members recognize that they are not alone in having an emotional problem. The simple sharing of experiences is an important human need.